Field of the Invention
This invention relates to intravenous (IV) systems used in the medical industry. More particularly, this invention relates to IV stopcocks.
Description of the Background Art
Presently, there exist many components to intravenous (IV) systems designed to deliver medications to a patient or to draw blood from the patient. Historically, ports in IV systems allowed a medical practitioner to access the IV system via a hypodermic needle to administer fluids to the patient or to withdraw blood from the patient. In more recent years, such ports have been supplanted by needleless access ports containing a swabable valve with a Luer fitting that allows the medical practitioner to directly connect the syringe to the needleless access port without the use of a hypodermic needle. Needleless access ports are universally preferred over ports that are accessed by means of a hypodermic needle to eliminate the risk of inadvertent needle pricks to the medical practitioner that could otherwise result in the spreading of a disease, particularly AIDS.
In many IV applications, it is desirous to use stopcocks to selectively control the flow of medications from a syringe into the IV line for delivery to the patient and to permit or not permit retrograde flow from the patient to the IV line to the syringe. Typical stopcocks comprise one port having a swabable valve to which the syringe is connected and then two other valved ports operated by a twist handle that may be rotated to (1) allow fluid flow to one port, (2) allow fluid flow to another port or (3) to preclude fluid flow altogether. Hence, stopcocks are in widespread use in the medical industry.
Conventional stopcocks typically comprise a three-port device with a rotatable handle that operatively allows fluid flow through the stopcock depending on the orientation of the handle. With a syringe connected to a first port, the handle may be oriented in one position to permit fluid flow through a second port. If the position of the syringe attached to the first port changes the fluid flow is allowed through a different port. Typically, the handle is marked with indicia, such as arrows or ridges, to visually indicate the direction of permissible fluid flow versus when fluid flow is blocked or “checked.”
Many stopcocks are cumbersome to operate, some requiring two-handed operation. Others are complicated and costly to manufacture.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvement which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art and provides an improvement which is a significant contribution to the advancement of the stopcock art.
Another object of this invention is to provide a stopcock that is simple in design and cost-effective to manufacture.
Another object of this invention is to provide a stopcock that is easy to operate with one-hand.
Another object of this invention is to provide a stopcock that is particularly useful for using a syringe for aspirating an IV line and then injecting a medicine from the syringe into the IV line.
The foregoing has outlined some of the pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.